Sunrisers Hyderabad put an end to a five-match losing streak in the Indian Premier League, recording an emphatic seven-wicket win over Rajasthan Royals on Monday.
Captain Sanju Samson made 82 for the Royals, yet their total of 164-5 was no problem for a Sunrisers team out who saw Jason Roy star at the top of the order.
The England batsman – selected ahead of the out-of-sorts David Warner – made 60 from 42 deliveries on his debut for the franchise, in the process giving their run chase a solid start.
Kane Williamson made sure there were few alarms with an unbeaten half-century, the Sunrisers captain helping reach the victory target with nine balls to spare.
Abhishek Sharma ended up on 21 not out as the Royals missed out on doing the double over their opponents for the first time in the round-robin stage of an IPL season.
Sunrisers avoid unwanted record
Despite the impressive triumph, Hyderabad remain bottom of the table. Still, they at least avoided losing six in a row for the first time ever in the competition's history.
Roy certainly made the most of his opportunity, hitting a solitary six and eight fours. While both he and Priyam Garg, out for a first-ball duck, fell in quick succession, Williamson's unbeaten 51 saw the Sunrisers coast home.
Samson strong again as he reaches milestone
Samson sure likes playing the Sunrisers. His 57-ball knock saw him become the highest scorer against them, while he also moved past 3,000 IPL runs in his career.
Yashasvi Jaiswal made 36 and Mahipal Lomror contributed an unbeaten 29 with the bat for Rajasthan, though a second successive defeat damages their hopes of making the play-offs.
CWI inducts first West Indies Men’s Academy cohort to be based In Antigua & Barbuda full-time
Cricket West Indies (CWI) hosted an official Induction Ceremony for the third cohort of the Men’s Academy on Monday.
The ceremony, held on 11 October 2024 at CWI Headquarters at Coolidge Cricket Ground (CCG) in Antigua & Barbuda, marked a significant milestone as this cohort is the first to be based in Antigua & Barbuda full-time for their year of training and development.
The 18 young men in attendance were addressed by West Indies cricket legend Courtney Walsh, an esteemed group of technical staff, cricket professionals, including CWI Director Enoch Lewis and CWI Chief Operating Officer Lynford Inverary.
In his opening remarks, Inverary emphasized the importance of the academy in developing the next generation of West Indies cricketers, saying,
“CWI has invested in you because we believe you are worth the investment. You are the future of West Indies cricket. This is not a one-off investment; it’s part of our long-term commitment to creating a high-performance system that ensures West Indies cricket thrives on the global stage.”
He encouraged the players to rise to the challenge and remember that they are not just representing themselves but their families, countries, and the entire region.
Cricket legend Walsh was greeted with a standing ovation by the enthusiastic players, who were bowled over by his record-breaking accomplishments on the pitch.
Walsh, who still holds the West Indies record for highest Test wicket-taker (519), shared his unique perspective as a former player and left the young men with thirteen key points to consider.
Of those points, he emphasised fitness, which allowed him to once bowl an extraordinary 45 consecutive overs in one innings; the importance of constantly learning about the game, which he does to this day; striving for excellence in Test cricket as a foundation for mastering all formats of the game; and finally, to always enjoy themselves and this unique journey.
Enoch Lewis, CWI Board Member and Chairman of the Cricket Performance and Development Committee, also delivered a powerful address, highlighting the pride and responsibility of wearing the West Indies crest. He reminded the young players that they are part of a legacy that extends beyond the field.
Ramesh Subasinghe, Head Coach of the West Indies Men’s Academy, and CWI Director of Cricket Miles Bascombe, outlined the year’s curriculum which, in addition to on-the-field training, focuses on skill development, personal growth, and leadership training.
Men’s Academy
The Men’s Academy continues to play a vital role in developing young cricketers, with three graduates from the previous cohort already securing franchise contracts. The programme offers a comprehensive curriculum that includes on-field skill enhancement and off-field elements like leadership training and media engagement.
In addition to the Men’s Academy, CWI also operates a Women’s Academy, with training camps being held in Antigua & Barbuda and across other territories. This parallel programme is part of CWI’s broader commitment to youth development and aims to prepare the next generation of women cricketers for success on the international stage. Both programmes reflect CWI's dedication to building a legacy of excellence in West Indies cricket, for both men and women.
2024/25 Men’s Academy Players:
Bellamy wants more from Wales after extending unbeaten start
Craig Bellamy insists there is still room for improvement for Wales after seeing off Montenegro 1-0 to make it four games without defeat.
Harry Wilson's 36th-minute penalty earned Wales all three points in Monday's Nations League Group B4 clash at Cardiff City Stadium.
Bellamy, who succeeded Rob Page in July, is the first Wales head coach to avoid defeat in his first four games in charge of the senior men's side.
As well as beating Montenegro home and away, Wales have also drawn 0-0 at home to Turkiye and 2-2 in Iceland.
Reflecting on his side's latest win, Bellamy told S4C: "I was impressed by us being able to control the tempo of the second half, but we still need improvement on it.
"You will get breaks and it feels like you can score because they have players forward, but it's also dangerous then for the counter.
"That transitional game becomes a little complicated, whereas in the first half they sat a lot deeper which allows us to really control the tempo of the game. Of course at the moment that really suits us.
"But we have got to stay calm, in transition but even when we have knockdowns and balls in and around.
"You secure the ball and pass to your team-mates and there are still bits for improvement we need, but we were better than last time."
Match-winner Wilson has now been directly involved in nine goals in his past 11 appearances for Wales, as many as in his previous 41 matches.
The Fulham forward kept his place in a much-changed Wales side on the back of Friday's draw in Iceland, which showed seven alterations in all.
Wilson was the star performer in a game Wales dominated for large parts, with Montenegro failing to register a single shot on target.
It means the Dragons have avoided facing an effort on target in two of their past seven matches across all competitions, matching the tally from their previous 34 games.
For all Wales' dominance, though, Montenegro substitute Andrija Radulovic fired a 20-yard drive against the crossbar.
"There were a lot of changes, and a lot of players who all definitely deserved the opportunity to play as well," Bellamy added. "The Nations League is so good and so competitive."
Wales trail leaders Turkiye by two points heading into next month's contest in Kayseri, before the Dragons round off their Nations League campaign at home to Iceland.
Montenegro, bottom of the table without a point and on a record run of six losses in a row, host Iceland and Turkiye in their final two matches.
Germany 1-0 Netherlands: Leweling marks senior debut with winning goal
Jamie Leweling netted the winner on his senior international debut as Germany beat the Netherlands 1-0 in Monday's Nations League clash at the Allianz Arena.
The Stuttgart forward, in for the injured Deniz Undav, had a goal within two minutes of his first cap ruled out after a VAR check showed Serge Gnabry was offside in the build-up.
However, there was no denying Leweling in the 64th minute as the 23-year-old thumped a loose ball inside the box into the bottom corner past Bart Verbruggen to give the hosts a deserved lead in Munich.
Verbruggen had undoubtedly been the busier of the two goalkeepers up until that point, making four saves prior to the breakthrough from Leweling, who also had a goal-bound shot blocked near the line by Stefan de Vrij.
The Netherlands twice went close to equalising in the final 15 minutes, but Oliver Baumann got a faint touch to a long-range Xavi Simons drive to help it onto the crossbar and then superbly helped Donyell Malen's powerful effort wide.
The win moves Germany to 10 points from their first four Group A3 matches, five points clear of the Netherlands and Hungary - 2-0 winners away at Bosnia-Herzegovina - who each have five points with two games remaining.
Data Debrief: Debutants decide the game
Leweling was a threat throughout on his debut as he scored one, had another disallowed and had an effort blocked off the line, generating an expected goals (xG) value of 0.35 - the highest of any player on the field.
Just as key to the victory was fellow Germany debutant Baumann, who produced two big saves in the second half.
Aged 34 years and 131 days, he became the second-oldest Germany debutant (after Matthias Mauritz) in the post-war era and the oldest goalkeeper to make his debut in the country's history.
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